Door control



June 27, 1933. D, JOHNSON 1,915,422

DOOR CONTROL Filed Aug. 5, 1931 B y Oar/a flan/mam ATTORNEY Patented June 27,1933

PATENT OFFICE DAVID E. JOHNSON, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON DOOR CONTROL Application filed August 5, 1931.

The invention is a device that is particularly adaptable for opening and closing garage doors which is so arranged that the doors may automatically open as a vehicle approaches the garage and then automatically close as the vehicle passes into the garage.

The object of the invention is to provide means for automatically opening and closing doors for garages or the like.

Another object of the invention to provide mechanical means for opening and closing garage doors which may also be operated automatically.

A further object of the inventlon 1s to provide means for opening and closing garage doors which may be operated from a remote point.

And a still further object of the invention is to provide means for opening and closing doors of garages or the like which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these ends in view the invention embodies a gear rack with a pinion and motor positioned in the upper part of a garage and connected by levers to the doors of the garage, and stops at the ends of the garage for limiting the movement thereof. The device is also provided with electrical circuits so that it 80 may be operated from a remote point or points.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a View showing a garage with the device indicated therein.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the operation of the device in combination with straight hinged doors.

Figure 3 is a similar view of one end of the garage showing an alternate arrangement in which means are provided for operating doors that will travel around the corners.

Figure 4 is a detail showing a sectional view of an alternate design in which the door raises up.

Figure 5 is a cross section through a garage in which the device is installed showing the electric controls and circuits.

Serial No. 555,155.

In the drawing the device is shown as it would be made wherein numeral 1 indicates the gear rack, numeral 2, the garage doors, and numeral 3, a control switch.

The rack 1 is supported in bearings 4 and 5 and provided with extensions 6 and 7 which have bumpers 8 and 9 at the ends. The bumpers are adapted to engage spring contact members 10 and 11 in stops 12 and 13 at the ends of the garage and the members 10 and 11 are held by hook shaped contacts 14 and 15. It will be noted that as the rack moves toward either end the members 8 and 9 will engage the members 10 and 11 and force them away from the hook shaped members 1 1 and 15 thereby opening the cont-act and breaking the circuit passing therethrough. With the contact open the motor will stop and the spring members 10 and 11 will move the rack back a sufficient distance to permit contact of the members of the stop so that the switch may be operated the next time it is desired to use the device. Additional spring members may be provided if desired and the springs may be located at any suitable position.

The rack l meshes with a gear 16 on a motor 17 and it Will be observed that as the motor rotates the gear will move the rack and the motor may be reversible so that it may move the rack in either direction to open or close the doors as may be desired.

The outer end of the extension 7 is attached to arms 18 and 19 which are pivotally attached to doors 20 and 21. These may be the doors of a garage, a refrigerator, or any other device. In the design shown in F igure 2, plane doors are used and these are hinged at the outer corners of the garage or compartment. 9

In the design shown in Figure 3 the doors pass around the corners and down the sides of the garage and the inner ends of the doors are connected to levers 22 and 23 which are pivotally mounted at the points 24 and 25 and operated by the rack through the extension 7 which is connected to the levers through openings at the point 26. It will be noted that as the rack moves backward toward the motor from the position shown in Figure 3, it will draw the inner ends of the doors backward to open them and as the rack moves forward it will push the doors out to the position shown so that they will be closed. In the design shown in Figure 4 the door raises and passes around a point 27 and the upper end is connected to the extension 7 at the point 28, as shown, so that as the rack moves backward it will 0 en the door and as it moves forward it will c ose the door. It will be appreciated that any other type of door may be used and it may be arranged and operated in an suitable manner.

In the design shown in igure 1, a plate 29 is provided in front of the garage and connected to itby a conduit 30 through which electric wires may pass to control the motor by the plate.

The plate may be mounted as shown in Figure 5 with a pin 31 slidably held in a bearing 32 and a spring 33 is placed around the bearing to resiliently hold the plate upward in the position shown. Below the plate is a solenoid 34 with a contact through the core and a contact point 35 at the upper end. The contact member 36 is held in an insulating member 37 and positioned so that as the plate 29 is pressed downward a lug 38 on the lower side thereof will move the member 36 downward so that it will contact the point 35 and complete the circuit. The solenoid 34 being energized will hold the point 36 downward until the circuit is broken by one of the members 8 and 9 engaging one of the stops 12 and 13. It will be noted that the member 36 is connected to one end of the coil of the solenoid through a wire 39 and the other end of the coil is connected by a wire 40 to one terminal 41 of the motor 17.

The contact point 35 is connected through the core of the solenoid to a wire 42 which is connected by a wire 43 to the member 10 of the stop 12. The member 14 of the stop 12 is connected by a wire 44 to the member 15 of the step 13 and the member 11 is connected by a wire 45 to the terminal 46 of the motor 17 A battery 47 or any other suitable means for supplying electric current may be connected in this wire. It will therefore be observed that when the plate 29 is pressed downward and the member 36 engages the contact 35 a circuit will be completed to start the motor rotating in a clockwise direction so that it will move the rack toward the doors and open them. The solenoid will hold the contact point together until the member 9 engages the member 11 and breaks the circuit at which time the member 36 will be released and will raise.

A little further from the front of the garage is another plate 48 which is also provided with a contact under it similar to that of the plate 29 and the solenoid under this plate is connected by a wire 49, through a wire 50 to the opposite terminal 51 of the motor. The core of the solenoid is connected to the wire 43 through a wire 52 and it will be observed that as this contact is made the circuit will also be completed through the reverse circuit of the motor so that it will rotate in a counter-clockwise direction and close the doors.

A switch 3 is also provided on the interior of the garage so that a person entering the garage from a rear door or from the house, as in'a built-in gara e may close the switch 53, oneterminal of w ich is connected by a wire 54 to the wire 40 and the other terminal of which is connected by wires 55 and 56 to the wire 43, and it will e observed that as this switch is closed'it will rotate the motor in a clockwise direction and open the doors as the wire 54 connects through the wire 40 to the terminal 41 of the motor and the wires 55 and 56 connect through the wires 43, 44, and 45 to the terminal 46 of the motor. it be desired to close the doors the switch 57 may be closed and itwill be noted that one terminal in this switch is connected to the wire 49 and the other through the wires 58 and 56 to the wire 43 so that it will close a circuit through the opposite terminal of the motor and cause the motor to rotate in the opposite direction to close the doors.

Another switch 59 may be located on the outside of the garage and provided with a lock so that anyone may unlock the switch and open or close the door as may be desired. This switch is similar to the switch "3 and one side thereof is connected by a wire 60 to the wire 40 and the other by wires 61 and 62 to the wire 43. This unit will complete a circuit through the terminals 41 and 46 of the motor when closed. The other unit is connected by a wire 63 to the wire 49 and a wire 64 through the wire 62' to the wire 42 and it will be observed that as this unit is closed a circuit will be completed through the terminals 51 and 46 of the motor to cause it to rotate to close the doors. It will be noted that the switches 3 and 59 may be located at any suitable point within or without the garage or at any remote points and the circuits through theseswitches and also through the contacts under the plates 29 and 48 may be arranged in any other suitable manner.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. One of which changes may be in the use of the device with any other type of door, another may be in the location of the device as it will be understood it may be positioned at any other point in the garage or compartment, and still another may be in the use of other means for operatin the motor, or in the position of the switches y which it is operated.

The construction will be readily understood from the foregoing descri tion. In use it will be noted that as the vehicle passes Should over the plate 29 a circuit will be completed I! as hereinbefore described which will open the doors so that the vehicle may ass in and after it is on the inside the switc 3 may be closed to close the doors. When taking the car out one of the switches 3 or 59 may be operated to open the doors and as the vehicle passes over the plate 48, as it is passing outward the device will operate and automatically close the doors. It will be appreciated that the plates 29 and 48 may be located in any other suitable positions and arranged so that they may only be engaged by the wheels as desired.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a garage, doors-hinged? ly mounted at one end of said garage and adapted to swing outward, a rack slidably mounted and longitudinally positioned in the center of the top of said garage, folding arms with one of their ends pivotally attached to one end of said rack and their other-ends pivotally attached to said doors approximately in the center thereof, a motor having a gear thereon with the gear in mesh with said rack and adapted to move said rack backward and forward, a switch in the roadway outside of the garage adapted to operate said motor to open said doors as it is closed, said switch positioned to be run over and closed by a vehicle, another switch also in the roadway outside of the garage adapted to close said doorsas it is run over by a vehicle, other switches for operating said motor to open and close said doors situated at remote points and adapted to be operated by hand, limit switches adapted to be engaged by the ends of said rack for breaking t e motor circuit and automatically stopping said motor as the doors reach the open or closed position and resilient means for moving said rack backward and closing said switches as the motor stops, said motor having a control adapted to automatically open the motor circuit when either rack cbntrolled limit switch is opened.

2. In a door opening and closing device, a compartment, doors hingedly mounted at one end of said compartment, a rack slidably mounted and longitudinally positioned in the center of the top of said compartment, folding arms with one of their ends pivotally attached to one end of said rack and their other ends pivotally attached to said doors approximately in the center thereof, a motor having a gear thereon with the gear in mesh with said rack and adapted to move said rack backward and forward, a switch outside of said compartment adapted to be closed by an approaching object to operate said motor to open said doors, a second switch also outside of said compartment adapted to be closed by an approaching object to operate said motor to close said doors, other switches for operating said motor to open and close said doors situated at remote points and adapted to be operated by hand, limit switches adapted to be engaged by the ends of said rack for breaking the motor circuit and automatically stopping said motor as the doors reach the open or closed position and resilient means for moving said rack backward and closing said switches as the motor stops, said motor having a control adapted to automatically open the motor circuit when either rack controlled limit switch is opened.

3. In a door opening and closing device, a compartment, doors hingedly mounted at one end of said compartment, a rack slidably mounted and longitudinally positioned in the center of the top of said compartment, folding arms with one of their ends pivotally attached to one end of said rack andtheir other ends pivotally attached to said doors approximately in the center thereof, a motor having a gear thereon with the gear in mesh with said rack and adapted to move said rack backward and forward, switches for closing circuits to said motor adapted to operate said motor in either direction to open or close said doors, limit switches adapted to be engaged by the ends of said rack for breaking the motor circuit and automatically stopping said motor as the doors reach the open or closed position and resilient means for moving said rack backward and closing said switches as the motor stops, said motor having a control adapted to automatically open the motor circuit when either rack controlled limit switch is opened.

In testimony whereof he aflixes his signature.

DAVID H. JOHNSON. 

